The Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs Requiring a Two Year Degree

August 22nd, 2011 - By TheEditor

By Nola Ogunro

Lack of education is often cited as a main reason for higher rates of African-American unemployment. Yet getting an education to further your career can be a catch-22. Many people cannot afford to take a four-year break from working with little guarantee that they will be able to find a job with their bachelor’s. But this is not a reason to avoid getting a practical education. There are many lucrative careers for which qualified applicants will be in high demand in the coming years, which only require a two-year degree or vocational training. Here are some of the highest paying jobs that require only an associate degree according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Four of the highest paying jobs are in healthcare — and almost 600,000 registered nurses will be needed in the coming years. Are some of these jobs that only require a two-year degree right for you? Read on to decide.

1. Radiation Therapists

–Median Income – $74,980/yr

–Can earn up to $110,550/yr

–Job increases by 2018 – 2,810

–Requirements: Associates Degree

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

MadameNoire Video

Comment Disclaimer

Comments that contain profane or derogatory language, video links or exceed 200 words will require approval by a moderator before appearing in the comment section. XOXO-MN

http://profile.yahoo.com/T6XVDFXA5I2ASOTWWTRBSBPZDA meetaffluent..com

Ｌīｆe ī$ ｌōńeｌｙ āńｄ $ōｍeτīｍe$ eｖeń ｂōｒīńɡ.Ｉ ωāńńā $ｈāｒe āń eｘｃīτīńɡ ｐｌāｃe______ｍeetāｆｆｌūeńt.ｃōｍ______īτ’$ τｈe ｌāｒɡe$τ āńｄｂe$τ ｃｌūｂｆōｒ ωeāｌτｈｙｐeōｐｌe āńｄ τｈeīｒ āｄｍāīｒeｒ$ ωｈō āｒe $eeｋīńɡ ｌōńɡ ｌā$τ āńｄ eńｄūｒīńɡ ｒeｌāτīōń$ｈīｐ$…ｙōū ｄōń’τ ｈāｖe τō ｂe ｒīｃｈ τｈeｒe,ｂūτ ｙōū ｃāń ｍeeτ ōńe.Ｉｆｙōū ｄōń’τ ｍīńｄ,Ｐｌeā$e ｃｈeｃｋ īτ ōūτ,Ｉ’ｍ $eｒīōū$.
Faecoast

In Florida you are Not Required to have a 4 year degree for a Nursing job. U can have a A.A. Hospitals are still hiring people with out four year degrees.
- tif123
  
  I live in Florida and from my understanding the hospitals are phasing out LPN’s in favor of RN’s. This comes from the many LPN’s I go to school with who are back to get their RN. Also smoaking is being eliminatedad an option for anyone who wishes to be in the nursing field as new employees, I was told but not verified that current employees me be grandfathered in?
Dfta

There are no jobs in PA for Rn’s all hospitals require BSN. This is false
OneOfAKind

Great list! I’m actually a Dental Hygiene student. I’ll be graduating next May.
- Guest
  
  My cousin is a DH and makes 75k/yr. Best of luck to you.
  - ONEOFAKIND
    
    Thank you!
- GalaxyEmpress
  
  Congratulations!!! Best wishes to you and your new career….
  - OneOfAKind
    
    Thank you so much!
- angie
  
  Good Luck…you are gonna need it. They have pushed this profession so hard that there are now soooo many hygienists it’s difficult to find a job. (in MANY states) The schools push this profession because they make money and now they are just driving wages down. I am ashamed and embarrassed to now be in this field due to the unethical practices that go on just to get money from the patients. I am a dental hygienist and i have worked in so many offices that push unnecessary procedures, x-rays and exams onto the patients because they don’t know any better. It’s sad!
Wondering?

Can working as a Radiation Therapist compromise your health? Madonna said this job was responsible for her mother’s cancer.
- Guest
  
  Any job that involves radiation raises your risk of getting irradiated, even with protection. Pharmacists who mix chemotherapy drugs have an abnormally high rate of cancers and it is believed that handling toxic chemo drugs everyday causes this. Good thing you are thinking about this.
MarioMierda

They keep saying nurse but you need to take a bunch of college courses beforehand so it takes more then 2 years
http://profile.yahoo.com/67FSEKIQECUVPI3LRBS4KMB7D4 Kandi

Do you think the better salary and benefits on the west coast could have anything to do with a nursing shortage? I have not heard anything concrete but I do know of a family member who goes to California twice a month for traveling nursing and makes quite a bit.
Claire

In NY state you cannot get a job in a hospital with only a 2year RN degree.
- Lisa20cau
  
  Many hospitals are moving to hiring only nurses with a Bachelor’s degree for many reasons. Two primary reasons are that for magnet credentialing purposes, which is a accreditation honoring healthcare entities that provide quality patient care, mandates that if hospitals want to apply for this honor, they can only hire nurses with a BSN. Second, research has shown that 4-year nurses produce better quality outcomes than the 2-yr programs. The comment above that mentioned 2-yr nurses make the same as a 4-yr nurse may be true but when it comes to advancing and moving up the career ladder, the 2-yr nurse places a limit in their mobility as far as being able to advance in their career. I am an advanced practice nurse and the to be honest, nursing is a very hard job, both physically & sometimes mentally so the older you become, the greater the likelihood that you will probably not want to be working at the bedside taking care of patients. That’s what these articles do not tell people who are looking to move into nursing.
  - Casey1272
    
    I think it has more to do with the war against women trying to make it harder for women who earn more money than a man
  - devans
    
    Also, as a Practical, speaking with alot of experience, which is something neither A.A. nor B.S.A.’s have very little. R.N.’s will almost always pass off the more undesirable work to the Practical Nurse or Aide. The very best nurses were our three year nurses. They even exited the sence because of the ” BSN”, coming in and taking over as they changed nursing for the worst. Experience is everything, and Compassion the very most important.
  - Anna
    
    I’m a nurse and we have heard for years that you’ll need a Bachelor’s degree. There is such a shortage of nurses they couldn’t possible have just people with Bachelor’s degrees.
Rdr

Registered nurses and aerospace engineers and technicians need 4 yr. degrees or more and they both earn more than this article claims. I suspect a good number of the jobs on this list also need more education than this article describes. If you live on either coast the pay scales listed here will not pay the rent.
- RN(real nurse)
  
  Registered nurses only require an associates degree. I started with an associates and now have a masters. With 22 years experience and varied work experience across the US, I can say my education does very little to increase my income. Advanced education is required only for specific jobs such as management,teaching ect. I make the same as a 2 yr. degree nurse with the same yrs. of experience. Salary base 100k+ on the west coast , employed as a staff nurse in a hospital,critical care(ICU).
- Georgia
  
  My grandmother’s sister was a RN and she didn’t even go to high school. So no you don’t need education. All they require is experience.
  - Neecy224
    
    As a RN myself, I find this comment very offensive. Registered nurses are health care PROFESSIONALS and to insinuate that anything other than a sound educational background, combined with clinical experience, is necessary to become one is irresponsible.
    - Jacquelinedknapp
      
      I agree with NEECY224. My sister is also a registered nurse & has been for over 10 years. She worked very hard to graduate from nursing school! It not a “stumble upon job”. She has had do the job of the doctors when they couldn’t make it in time. RN’s are educated
      - devans
        
        Most all of the Doctors work is done by any one but the Doctor.
      - tif123
        
        No true, she would have been an LPN not an RN
        
        tif123
        
        I an sorry this was ment to relpy to Marjoriechristman
    - devans
      
      Your nurses aides are the ones with the most experience and They get very little respect.
      - krisi
        
        nurses aides have nurse’s aide experience..which happens to, unfortunately, most of the daily hands on work that needs to be done…if they want different jobs, they should go back to school..otherwise, they ought to understand that RNs have other duties and responsibilities, as do LPNs. In my experience, many NAs and CNAs are often very bitter and I have seen many take this out on their patients…which is entirely unacceptable!
    - http://www.facebook.com/janetecooke Janet Cooke
      
      A professional who gets offended by information about what happened a hundred years ago that causes someone to draw an erroneous conclusion must not have much faith in their standing.
  - Marjoriechristman
    
    Georgia yoou are mistaken. A registered nurse requires not only nursing school with a degree, but must pass state board exams which are NOT easy. You cannot enter a nursing program without a high school diploma and at least a C average amd then m
    taking final exams after finishing and THEN taking and passing state board exam. Grannys sister was NOT an RN and it sounds like she wasnt even a qualified aide.
  - Jacquelinedknapp
    
    This is not the case these days. You must have a degree to become an RN
  - Casey1272
    
    that was probably 50 years ago
  - Rubyjuly
    
    This comment is so stupid it almost doesn’t require comment except for the fact that it might mislead some young people. My mother graduated from high school in 1923 and she still had to go to nursing school to become a registered nurse. Today a way to enter into the field if you are not sure would be to become a Certified Nurse Assistant. That training only takes a few weeks, otherwise you are looking at a minimum commitment of two years or more.
    - http://www.facebook.com/janetecooke Janet Cooke
      
      I am sure that different states had different requirements then as now. I am not sure why people are all excited about one post. How many kids in HS do you suppose at basing their edu decisions on this article?
  - tif123
    
    This was once true but no longer. Rules and regulations have morphed over the years. Once upon a time you could get on the job training in a hospital to gain licenceur and you could go to a techinical school for nursing as my mother did. I am currently finializing my AA to enter a nursing program and it is not easy. You have to want this so bad that you put your life on hold for 4-5 years to get your BSN. You have to be the best of the best academically as the programs are extremely limited in who and how many students they accept. Another option is to pay a private college like Kiser University but you pay through the nose and a AA is not required to enter the program and attain liscencure if you pass the board. The truth is that you can not obtain a RN in two years, the techinical course itself is at least two years plus prerequisites.
    As for Neecy24 you should not be offended as it is apparent from your comment that you too are unaware of the history of nursing.
  - Guest
    
    Are you stupid? I think so, that was probably 50 to 60 years ago, nursing requirements have changed a lot since the 1930′s and 40′s
  - KRISI
    
    Seriously? I hope no one really believes this! The reality is that in order to become a Registered Nurse, you must complete an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program-AND most ADN programs are 3 year programs, btwn 70-90 credits (most AD programs are 60, bachelor’s are 120). Once you graduate, you must pass state boards before you go from a ‘Graduate Nurse’ to a ‘Registered Nurse’.
    Having a BS in psych as well, I can honestly say that the ADN degree program, as well as the state boards, were by far the hardest thing I ever accomplished in my life.
    Often people claim to be a ‘nurse’..when, in reality, the are nurse assistants, or even certified nurse assistants (CNAs)..CNA courses generally take 4-6 weeks, and require little more than a GED—BIG DIFFERENCE from an RN, or even an LPN (usually a one year training, but no degree-but they still have to pass boards after program completion to become ‘Licensed’, and it is still a difficult accomplishment).
    The term ‘Registered’ or ‘Licensed’ should, for anyone with any intelligence or common sense IMPLY that the person is a LICENSED PROFESSIONAL!! HOW DO YOU THINK THEY OBTAINED LICENSURE????
    I sure hope you never say this in the presence of any RNs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
gina r

Good posting Miss Markeita, RN. Please check your local Office of the Professions or State Boards for specific requirements for your state. Most communities colleges have 2 year Associates degrees. I know lots who got their RN's that way. My tip: get a SPECIALIZED degree in whatever field of your choice, Nursing, Engineering, Technology, Finance, Legal. A generic Bachelor's in Business will get you a Customer Service Job, that's about it.
gina r

Good posting Miss Markeita, RN. Please check your local Office of the Professions or State Boards for specific requirements for your state. Most communities colleges have 2 year Associates degrees. I know lots who got their RN's that way. My tip: get a SPECIALIZED degree in whatever field of your choice, Nursing, Engineering, Technology, Finance, Legal. A generic Bachelor's in Business will get you a Customer Service Job, that's about it.
2yr RN's can make $150K, LPNs $80-$90K, with lots of OT in NEW YORK. But it's hard work, sh*tty hours!!! Do your Homework.
Miss Markeita- RN

Alot of people are posting incorrect information. RN is just that, a registered nurse. You can become a RN through a variety of diffrent mehods. A RN with an associates degree is not limited in capacity to the duties that they can take on. The diffrence is not even shown in pay scale. An ASN (associate degree in nursing) can and will preform the same job requirements as a nurse with there BSN-(bachelors degree in nursing) . The true diffrences are established in mangement. Most management positions will require you to have your BSN. The truth is even if you go for ASN, you should plan to continue to at least BSN. Most colleges are doing away with there ASN programs and allowing community colleges to be the only alternative for this degree. An associates degree is a good start, but most places are pushing to either hire only BSN's, or have all the current in house nurses go back to get there bachelor's.
TX Nurse

FYI Your Criminal record MUST be clean, No Felonies to work in medical field.
Alexis

I am sorry, it is actually number ten that is very hard to break into–aerospace engineering and technical work. My mistake.
Alexis

Regarding being a registered nurse, if you click on the link, you will see that the term registered nurse has different legal meanings in different contexts. So in some instances, it only requires a two-year degree. Please research more about it. This kind of RN will have different duties than a nurse with a two year degree. Thanks.
Sonya

Many of these jobs require exposing yourself to radiation regularly.

I think I'd be better off going back to school to see if I can make more money WITHOUT knocking years off of my life by putting myself in high risk situations.
Veus

Most of these are wrong.besides that most places wont even hire people with a two year degree.. Hell those with four year degrees are having trouble
Kitty

To be a RN takes longer than some two years. Try 3 or 4!
GObacktoschool

THis is exactly why i went back to school… So many other races have degrees and they get picked for the jobs… I didnt have a degree because i just wasnt interested in going to college… But once u get a reality check u realize that u need that education so i went back to school to become a nurse and im almost done.. Its a pain in the butt butits worth it
miss g

Last time I checked atleast for the state of California you need a 4 yr degree to be a registered nurse. A two year degree will earn you a LVN license which is far different from an RN especially in pay.
- RN in SC
  
  Actually, u only need an associate's degree to become an RN; though it usually takes a little longer than 2 yrs because the curriculum is so challenging. An LVN/LPN license requires a 1 yr diploma program. RNs with an associate's degree usually have the same responsibilities as a RN with a bachelor's. The only difference is that in most cases (not all) a bachelor's degree is preferred for management and leadership positions. Also there is only about a $1/hr difference in pay. At least thats how it is here in SC, it may be different elsewhere.

About Us • Advertising • Contact Us • Privacy • Your California Privacy Rights

MadameNoire is a sophisticated lifestyle publication that gives African-American women the latest in fashion trends, black entertainment news, parenting tips and beauty secrets that are specifically for black women. Black women seek information on a wide variety of topics including African-American hair care, health issues, relationship advice and career trends - and MadameNoire provides all of that.